Safely Driving on Rural Roads If you live in a rural area, chances are that you do much of your daily driving on rural roads. Rural roads are secondary roads that are often not as busy as city roads. If you drive primarily on rural roads, there are several hazards you should know about and precautions that you should take. Drivers of rural roads should be educated about the risks of driving on these roads in order to avoid accidents and injuries. There are several characteristics of rural roads that are commonly associated with adverse results. Some of these characteristics include: blind curves, narrow width, no guard rails, soft surface, rough road surface, inadequate road signs, obstacles on road, and steep hills.
Constant Awareness One of the first things drivers of rural roads should remember is that they should always drive the speed limit. Speed limits are not arbitrary; they are in place for a reason. Transportation officials decide at what speed will be the maximum safe speed for the type of road that they are looking at. If you go above this speed, there is no guarantee that your journey will be safe. What is important to remember about rural roads is that sometimes it will be necessary to go under the designated speed limit in order to ensure safety for yourself and your passengers. One of the main things drivers of rural roads should watch out for is lack of road signs. The lack of road signs can be dangerous because you can more easily become lost. It is dangerous to become lost or stranded on a rural road because you may not have a cell phone signal to call for help. Many rural roads are not even on maps, so that would further complicate the issue if you were ever lost. There are several ways you can prevent a situation in which you may become lost on a rural road.
Always Be Prepared You should always carry a compass, map, and GPS with you in your car if you plan on traveling on rural roads. If one of these devices doesn’t work, you can try the others one until something works. Even if you think your cell phone won’t work, you will want to bring it just in chance you by chance get cell phone service when you are stranded. Make sure also that you are fueled up appropriately if you are going to be traveling on rural roads for a long period of time. There will be most likely not be any gas stations along your route, and you do not want to run out of gas when on a rural road. Always make sure that your spare tire has enough air in it in case you need to use it on your journey. It is also a good idea to carry food, water, and other emergency supplies with you in your car on your journey. If you are concerned about something happening to your car, make sure that you have reliable auto insurance. Securing auto insurance in Porter is easy. All you need to do is contact Prodigy Insurance, and they will get you set up with reliable and affordable auto insurance in Porter that has a large amount of coverage. Get auto insurance and never worry about traveling on rural roads again. Photo Credit: Matthew Paulson, Michael May, mroach